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SR-71A Blackbird Wheels (648740 for Revell) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set contains nine of the special wheels that were used on the Blackbird, with its aluminium-impregnated, dotted tyres on the main wheels in groups of three, and twin nose wheels with circumferential tread. Each one is a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, and they are all supplied with pre-cut masks from the Kabuki-tape sheet (not pictured) inside the package to make the job even easier. The detail is exceptional as we’ve come to expect from Eduard’s wheels, and it has to be seen to be believed. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Mi-24D Conversion Set (648730 for Zvezda) 1:48 The Mi-24D was an upgraded variant of the original Hind-A that was designed in the early 70s to be truer to the gunship ethos originally envisaged at the outset of the type’s design process, and as such it was armed with a 12.7mm four-barrel machine gun in the nose. On the winglets it was capable of carrying various ground support munitions on four hard-points, including rocket pods, bombs, the significantly better Phalanga anti-tank missiles and various other improvements, both in terms of weapons carriage and airframe changes. The most noticeable visual aspect was the splitting of the cockpit space and the removal of the single angular canopy, which was replaced by the more familiar twin-bubble style canopies that afforded the crew a better view of the battlefield. Poland tested one airframe, and East Germany had a pair of airframes in service, but the majority of the 600+ airframes were used by core Soviet forces. A few airframes were converted with twin controls that were known as the Mi-24DU for training purposes, and the type was also exported in some numbers. It was later replaced in service by the Mi-24V, which was capable of carrying more modern missiles than were available when the D was designed. This conversion set will allow the modeller to backdate the Zvezda Mi-24V kit to the earlier -D, and it arrives in a shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. Some of the parts are directly 3D printed, as can be seen by the fine finger-like supports that surround them and their dark grey resin. There are also Photo-Etch (PE) parts and a slip of printed acetate for a screen on the instrument panel and the gunsight. There are twelve resin parts in total, used in various places around the airframe and within the cockpit. Construction begins with the gunsight, which is made from two printed parts plus two of the smaller acetate printed parts for the glazing. Oddly, the rest of the interior parts are left until the end. A pack of resin chaff and flare boxes are glued together and the joint secured by a PE plate, before the package is strapped to the tail boom by two PE ratchet-straps, fixing them first so the ends are hidden under the pack. A pair of new exhausts, or should that be old exhausts? Either way, these super-finely printed parts are attached to the exhaust apertures and are painted dark iron. The under-nose is then upgraded to accommodate two hanging blisters, one with twin inserts and a PE tip on the starboard underside, and the port side having a base from which hangs another faring that has a small stabilising vane on the rear, and another PE part slotted into the base. The final part is a small printed blister with a riveted flange that attaches to the curve of the fuselage just in front of the port blister. The rest of the parts that can be found on the pre-painted and nickel-plated fret are for the instrument panel, which uses the flat kit backing to add a two-layered panel plus a drop-down section, and a shallow folded-up box with the last piece of acetate in front, giving the impression of a screen. The panel dials have the new-style glossy faces that have a slight dome to them, and give the whole assembly a more realistic look. It’s worth noting that there are additional sets in abundance to convert your Hind more conclusively to a -D, including resin wheels, weapons and guns, plus stencils, 3D resin instrument panels of Löök and SPACE varieties, and a number of other detail sets. Someone has spent a lot of time and care working on these. You’ll need to find your own decals for the main scheme, but the stencil decals that have been produced are a worth purchase at the bare minimum. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

OV-10 Wheels (648735) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This three-wheel set is a direct replacement for the kit parts, and has much finer detail all-around, from the tyre's tread pattern and maker’s information embossed on the sidewalls, to the hubs with brake detail on the rear sides of the main wheels. They’re designed to fit the range of new ICM kits, and will fit any and all versions, but you’d be well-able to use them on the old Testors kit with its too-close-together engine nacelles if you’re brave enough to tackle that with the ICM kit around. All the casting blocks are sensibly placed on the contact-patches of the tyres, with little work needed to make them ready for use. The smaller nose-wheel tyre has the anti-shimmy groove down the centre and deep hubs that have a depression in the centre to mate with the yoke on the kit nose gear leg. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Chipmunk T.10 Wheels (648699 for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin, and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. There are two wheels included in the package, each one on its own casting block, and there is also a small sheet of pre-cut kabuki tape masks, allowing you to cut the demarcation between tyres and hubs with little effort. Detail is excellent, and includes the raised Good Year name with winged boot and tyre stats on the sidewalls, a circumferential tread on the contact patch, and hub detail in the centre. The tyres have a very slight sag to simulate the weight of the aircraft on them, and they are joined to the casting block there, so clean-up is simple and you don’t risk damaging the detail. Once liberated from their block, they are a straight-forward drop-in replacement. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A6M2 Update Sets (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin We’ve just reviewed the first boxing of this new kit, being the Dual Combo that goes by the name of Tora Tora Tora! here, and already Eduard have created a quantity of aftermarket sets for when excellent detail isn’t quite enough for you. Here are some of the first. A6M2 Seat (648698) This is another of Eduard’s new range of directly printed 3D sets, and it arrives in one of their usual shallow card Brassin boxes due to the shape of the seat. Due to their goal of lightening the aircraft as much as possible, the engineers provided the pilot with a perforated seat that offered no protection other than a mixture of thin stamped metal and fresh air. This set includes a 3D SLA printed seat that is attached by thin tendrils to a slim base at a curious angle that made photography a little difficult without the assistance of some Blutak. In addition, there is a set of STEEL pre-painted and nickel-plated seatbelts on a small fret in a separate bag that is backed by a piece of white card. After removing the fingers from the underside of the seat and sanding them flush, it is a simple drop-in replacement for the kit part that provides a fine and highly detailed seat that has more finesse than the kit original. A6M2 Wheels (648693) Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set arrives in a flat pack and contains two main wheels with integrated hubs, and a slight weighting to the bottom of the tyres to give the impression of the airframe pressing down on them. It also includes a tail wheel strut with moulded-in cylindrical wheel, which is cast in a tougher white resin. The icing on the cake is a set of pre-cut kabuki tape masks that allows the modeller to cut the demarcation between tyre and hub effortlessly. A6M Undercarriage Legs BRONZE (648695) Inside the shallow Brassin box, the primary parts of this set are the two cast bronze gear legs, which are of high quality with little preparation work to do before they can be painted and added to your model. In addition, you get a full set of outer gear bay doors, which are cast at near scale thickness to give your Zero a more realistic look. A small hole should be drilled through the supports of the narrow leg door to permit the threading of a brake hose from your own 0.3mm wire stock, and you are shown how to do this in a small diagram on the instruction sheet. Conclusion The base kit is already highly impressive, and with the addition of some or all of these sets your Zero will really stand out from the crowd. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

US Mk.17 Depth Charges (648691) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The AN-Mk.17 Mod.2 depth charge was used by the US Navy during WWII, carrying 325lbs of either TNT or Torpex in a cylindrical casing with welded-on dome head, and having a drum-shaped tail fin for stabilisation during flight from the launching aircraft. A small spinner armed the fuse on the side as the weapon fell, and the single suspension lug was a triangular bracket welded to the body. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in a shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. This is one of Eduard’s new Castless Print sub-variant, and the resin parts are SLA printed directly from the CAD files. Inside the box are two units that have already been removed from their bases, with just a fraction of a millimetre of the support lattice still visible on the bottom of the fin ring, which will be the work of moments with a sanding stick to remove. The charges are ostensibly complete save for the spinner on the nose, which is made from two PE parts and a short length of 0.4mm rod from your own stocks. The blades on the spinner will need twisting slightly with a pair of tweezers, then a PE ring is added to the front and the spinner is slipped over the rod and is glued in place. The front of the instruction sheet has a colour diagram showing the painting of the depth charges with their usual Gunze colour call-outs, plus the location of the few stencils that are applied to the finished article from the small sheet that accompanies the set. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

GBU-15(V)21/B (648646) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The GBU-15 series of guided munitions are based upon the same basic structure, fitted to a Mark.84 iron bomb and including a set of guidance vanes of the short-chord variety in the case of the 21/B, plus the seeker head at the front, which is a visual or TV guidance system, projecting a picture of the target into the cockpit of the releasing aircraft. An enhanced variant was introduced in the new millennium with improved guidance and more independence from its originating aircraft. As is now usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, it arrives in a deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, a layer of foam, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. There are two bombs in the set, both of which are found sealed inside a pink bubble-wrap bag, as they have their square rear fins moulded-in, which are quite delicate. Another bag contains the forward steering vanes, two clear seeker lenses, and a pair of FOD guards that require removal of a short length of the nose cone to fit. The forward vanes slot into cruciform sockets in the missile body, which upon testing makes for a nice firm joint, but take care to fit them all perpendicular to their neighbour. The clear lens fits over a realistic representation of the inner workings of the weapon in the nose, and they should be painted black, however a little dry-brushing to bring out the detail would look nice behind the lens. The front of the instruction sheet has a colour diagram showing the painting of the bomb with their usual Gunze colour call-outs, plus the location of the various stencils that are applied to the finished article from the small sheet that accompanies the set. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Boeing B-17 Wheels Rhomboid Tread (648645 for HKM) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. One bag contains three wheels on their own pour blocks, plus two more blocks with four hub parts that are added once removed from their blocks. The tail wheel is a separate part, and all three have a slight flat at the bottom to represent the weight of the airframe on them. All wheels are incredibly detailed from tread to hubs and sidewall contours, with manufacturer and stencil data in raised writing, all perfectly crisp and legible. In addition, a set of kabuki tape pre-cut masks are included (not pictured) for all three wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation cleanly with little effort. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AGM-142 Popeye Have Nap (648652) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The AGM-142 Popeye is an Israeli developed stand-off missile that has the hilariously inappropriate UN code “Have Nap” that is used in US service. It is powered by a rocket motor, although some later versions have a jet engine instead, and can be controlled by the launching aircraft or elsewhere, using inertial guidance, infrared or TV, and carrying a fragmentation or penetrator warhead, depending on the target. It is in use with a number of countries, and America was a user of the TV equipped variant up until 2004. As is now usual with Eduard's more compact resin sets, they arrive in the shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, one of which is made from bubble-wrap, and the instructions folded around acting as further padding. There are two missile units in the box, and they are large, cylindrical pieces. The various fins, clear seeker lenses and nosecone are in a separate bag, while the decals are in their own bag. Construction is straight forward after removing the parts from their casting blocks, which should also be pretty easy due to Eduard’s commitment to keeping the pour gates to an absolute minimum area. The nose cone fits on a keyed joint, which will need a little fettling in order to get a good join, which I tested out to ensure I wasn’t talking nonsense. There is the option of a clear resin seeker lens in the nose cone, or you can fit the hemispherical FOD cap that is used to protect the lens on the ground. Two sets of tail fins are slotted into rectangular slots on the forward larger fins, and round pegs for the smaller aft fins. You will need to ensure that you get these parts perpendicular to the missile body and lined up with each other to ensure a good look, with another two “whisker” fins on the nose, fitting snugly into their slots. The painting guide is printed in colour on the instructions, and as usual quotes Gunze colour codes along with the colour names to assist with painting using other brands. The stencils dotted around the weapon are also shown on the same diagram, and from my experience with their decals, they should provide no issues. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Lufttorpedo F5b (648627) 1:48 ICM via Hannants The F5b Torpedo was developed for the Luftwaffe by the Kriegsmarine from an earlier Norwegian design, adding a break-off wooden H-tail that helped ensure stable insertion into the water, which at a little under a tonne was an important part in its flight envelope. It was carried by a number of German bombers such as the He.111, which could carry a pair on a palette covering the bomb bay doors, and even the Fw.190 was configured to carry one under its belly. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in Ziploc bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. The set includes four main resin parts on separate casting blocks, and six small parts on another block, plus a large sheet of Photo-Etch (PE). There are two torpedoes, each of which is moulded in front and rear sections, the latter tapering off while the front section is tubular with a rounded nose. There are four variants that you can build with or without a drag fairing on the tail, and with rounded or angled fronts to the guidance fins, with enough common resin and PE parts for the two screws at the rear. The two halves of the torpedo have a keyed joint that almost guarantees a good fit as long as you don’t attack it with a machete or pick axe and remove the flash on the inner ledge, then it’s a case of bending the blades of the propellers in layer one, slipping it over the stub axle in the tail, adding a tapered spacer then fitting another prop and a final tapered section to finish off the rear. The guidance vanes of either type at the rear fit into slots at 90o to each other, and these are braced with fine PE slats. If you plan on fitting the rear fairing, there are two side panels that have a central finger that folds over for later gluing to the torpedo, and these side panels have etched slots on the inside for the location of the four horizontal slats. Take care fitting these absolutely perpendicular to the sides, then glue the assembly to two of the guidance vanes as shown in the scrap diagram. As usual, there are copious colour call-outs throughout the instructions using Eduard’s favourite brand of paints, Gunze Sangyo, and there is a 3D isometric rendering of two of the finished torpedoes in the centre of the instructions. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Tempest Mk.II Landing Flaps (648686 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Following the release of Eduard’s brand-new range of Hawker Tempests in 1:48, their latest Mk.II has been showered with priase from the modelling community and aftermarket from their own stable, allowing the modeller to add as much or as little as they’d like to augment the already exemplary detail of their kits. There is a small over-printing on the box, which says Print – Castless Brassin, which is new for Eduard, and the set arrives in their shallow cardboard box, which is better for the environment than their old plastic clamshells. This new style of flap sets embraces the march of technology in the field of 3D resin printing (SLA printing to those in the know), and presses it into service to create highly detailed flaps as single parts with all the detail already present. All that is required of the modeller is to free it from the finger-like attachment points that secure it to the printing platform during production. A quick wash in warm soapy water will help to remove any lingering residue from the parts, although they will have already been cleaned with IPA (not beer) at the factory. This reduction in workload for the modeller then leaves them to carry out the removal of the retracted flap surfaces from the lower wing, then scrape the upper wing edges thinner to accommodate the thickness of the PE bay skins. The PE bays have their fronts folded up to create the hinge area, and are then glued to the inside of the upper wing, with the flaps attached to the rear wall of the new bay, using small tabs to strengthen the bond. Repeat this for the other side, and you're done with construction. Simplification of the process makes adding deployed flaps much more appealing, and the more robust flaps will stand up to painting and handling much better than fragile glued-together PE. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Me.163B (648684 for GasPatch) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip or sink-mark issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline, weighting and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also generally available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set includes seven resin parts for the two main wheels for the jettisonable launch trolley and the retractable tail wheel. Also included is a set of pre-cut kabuki tape hub/tyre masks (not pictured) to cut the demarcation with ease, and once liberated from their casting blocks they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts. Detail is excellent, and each wheel has a subtle flat-spot at the bottom where the casting block attaches, giving the impression of the weight of the airframe, whilst also making it easy to remove from the block. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-17 Wheels Oval Tread (648644) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set includes seven resin parts for the two main wheels and the tail wheel, with two pairs of separate hubs on their own casting blocks. Also included is a set of pre-cut kabuki tape hub/tyre masks (not pictured) to cut the demarcation with ease, and once liberated from their casting blocks the hubs are inserted into the keyed depressions in each side of the wheels, and then are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts. You might also notice that the wheels have been cast with the raised maker’s marks and type stencils in different places on each side, so that when in place on the model they won’t line up. That all helps with realism. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Bf.109G-10 Propeller (648672 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s newly tooled range of Bf.109G or Gustavs had a false start a few years previously with some scale issues that they corrected soon after with newly re-tooled releases, and went on to flesh out the range with various sub-variants that rapidly became the de facto standard in the scale for the discerning modeller. This prop is for the G-10, and as is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, it arrives in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. This is a simple set that improves on the kit detail immensely, and gives the builder the option of showing the prop without various parts as if it was in maintenance. The set consists of three individual blades, a prop boss with backing plate, drive shaft, hollow spinner in resin, plus a PE ring to finish off the tip of the spinner after liberating it from the casting block. The interior of the spinner is detailed, and the hub is also superb. The props are aligned with the supplied resin jig, allowing you to insert one at a time and get the angle of the blade just right. Plastic backing plate H67 from the kit is still used behind the prop. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

F6F Exhaust Stacks (648683 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard have recently re-released their F6F Hellcat kit, which was originally released in 2008, and here are a set of resin exhausts to upgrade the details. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), small Brassin sets and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. This set consists of four tiny resin parts on a single casting stub that will be simplicity itself to remove. Give them a quick soapy wash in warm water before you remove them to save losing them though, as they are quite wee. What they bring to the party is finesse and a more realistic looking hollow exhaust tip, all of which adds realism to your finished model. There’s not much more to say other than there are two paired pipes and two triples, all with clamps around them, the correct locations for which are shown on the front of the fuselage in the instructions. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sopwith Camel 20lb Bomb Carrier (648662 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Print At the beginning of WWI it had barely occurred to the combatants to use aircraft as anything other than rudimentary reconnaissance platforms, but as time went by the crews began carrying pistols, then rifles, and eventually bombs. Initially, the bombs were lobbed from the cockpit by hand at ad hoc targets, but as time marched on the aircraft became more capable and racks were created to make dropping the ordnance more predictable and accurate. The Camel’s rack could carry four 20lb bombs with remote release from the cockpit, turning the Camel into a true ground attack aircraft. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, a piece of foam and the instructions folded around acting as padding. This set is augmented with a “Brassin Print” label, due to the fact that that these delicate parts have been printed directly, rather than cast from 3D printed masters. Inside the box are five resin parts (it’s still resin after all), plus a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass. The finesse of the rack is incredible, and will take some care to remove from the webwork that connects it to the base. The bombs are attached to their base at their fins, and when cut free these parts are linked to the rack by a pin that fits into a socket on the bomb rack. Each bomb has a small PE clip affixed at the front between it and the rack, which prevents the arming spinner from rotating in the aircraft’s slipstream until the bomb is released from the rack. The rack attaches to the model by four rectangular pads that mate with depressions on the underside of the fuselage, completing the assembly. Colour call-outs are given throughout in Eduard’s usual brand of choice, Gunze Sangyo in order to do justice to the detail in this set. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sopwith Camel Engine – Clerget & Bentley (648676 & 648677) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Eduard’s newly tooled Sopwith Camel has reached our shelves and stashes now, and here are a pair of aftermarket engines in gloriously well-detailed resin to upgrade your kit parts. You can see our review of the kit here, but remember to come back and read the rest of this review after. The engines fitted to the aircraft were sourced from various manufacturers to prevent a bottleneck from slowing down production of these much-needed fighters. Bentley and Clerget were the major producers, and these two sets depict the differences between the two. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. The differences between the two types are slight, but noticeable when viewed close up, mostly around the cylinders, push-rods and the exhaust collector ring. Clerget Engine (648676) The Clerget engine has finer cooling vanes on the cylinders and fewer joints on its exhaust collector tubing. The main resin part includes the cylinders, bell-housing and drive-shaft, with the exhausts slotting into a keyed hole in the rear, and the PE wiring loom plus aft ring slipping over the rear. The completed, painted assembly is then attached to the fuselage on the standard mounting point in the centre. Bentley Engine (648677) The Bentley engine has coarser cooling vanes on the cylinders and more joints on its narrower exhaust collector pipes, plus a slightly different construction order. The main resin part includes the cylinders, push-rods, bell-housing and drive-shaft, with a PE ring in front of the exhausts that slot into a keyed hole in the rear, then the PE wiring loom slipping over the rear. The completed, painted assembly is then attached to the fuselage on the central mounting point. Conclusion Detail is excellent in both variants, and as usual with Eduard sets the paint call-outs are given through the build in Gunze codes and colour names. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hey everyone I had a little rush of blood to the head earlier and I ordered the Brassin Tempest V Napier Sabre for the Eduard Tempest kit. So boyd by my Spitfire Mk.IXc (finished build) WIP I thought I'd get another WIP going in anticipation for when I get to start it. Box art.. And Napier Sabre... Cheers Iain

Tempest Mk.II Gun Bays (648638 for Eduard/Special Hobby) 1:48 Eduard Brassin After everyone finished jumping up and down with glee at the release of Eduard’s new Mk.II Tempest in 1:48 with its cylindrical cowling and massive radial engine, the detail hounds started to wonder what extras would be around. So far we’ve had a number of sets, and now we have the Gun Bay set. The gun bays on the model are moulded closed, so the first thing you'll need to do it cut the wing apart, making a T-shaped hole in each upper panel, following the panel lines shown in the instructions. You'll also need to chamfer the inner side of the landing light blister inside the lower wing, or your bays won't fit. On first looks, this set appears identical to the Mk.V bays, and to a great extent that is correct, but for the rear lip on the trailing edge of the wing, which has been changed, presumably to make construction easier. The whole bay frame is moulded as a single part per wing, and is given a PE floor with the lower wing internal structure depicted. The two ammo boxes fit into the top of the T each side of the cannons, which are added after, and plumbed in with some small resin parts. The rear of the bay is a mixture of resin and PE parts to obtain the correct thickness of the trailing edge once the bay is offered up to the underside of the upper wing. It fits within the hole, recessed to give a more realistic look and thickness to the bay edges, which are then lined with PE parts that replicate the lip and fastener locations, with the front sections inlaid with more PE to depict the hinges so that the new resin bay doors can be attached folded forwards, while the aft section is loose and usually laid upside down on the wing when removed. A CAD image shows their correct orientation, and Mr Hobby paint codes are called out throughout construction to aid paint choices. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sabre F.4 Wheels (648673 for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set arrives in the usual Brassin-themed flat pack, with a white backing card keeping the package square and the instructions wrapped around it inside. The wheels are each separate parts on their own casting blocks, while the two protruding inner hubs are to be found on another block together. The detail is excellent throughout, with tread, maker’s name and technical details on the sidewalls, plus a slight sag at the bottom where the casting block attaches. This makes for easy removal, as it is the part that won’t be seen, so if you’re a bit rough with it no-one will see anyway as long as it’s flat. The nose wheel has deep spoke detail moulded on both sides, with all wheels having a deep hole in the rear for attachment to the kit gear legs. In addition, a set of kabuki tape masking material (not pictured) that is pre-cut for your convenience is included, allowing you to cut the demarcation between tyre and hub cleanly and with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

Lancaster B.Mk.I Detail Upgrades (for HK Models) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin After their successful 1:32 Lancaster, HK Models have since brought out one for modellers of the 1:48 persuasion, leaving the old Tamiya kit a little bit further toward the back of the stash. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Wheels (648656) This wheel set contains the two main balloon tyres on separate resin casting blocks, while the grooved anti-shimmy tail wheel is found on another block. Although the tyres of most WWII Lancs were treadless, there are a number of circumferential lines on the shoulder and sidewall, all of which is depicted here along with the manufacturer’s name and data stencils, all in raised lettering that is crisp and legible, providing you have the eyesight or magnification. In addition, a set of kabuki tape masks (not pictured) have been cut to shape in order for you to cut the demarcation between tyre and hub with very little effort, and no wobbles due to a twitch of the paint brush. Löök Set (644118) This set contains a combination of pre-printed resin and PE parts to quickly and efficiently detail up your cockpit. There are four resin parts that make up the large instrument panel and its pedestal with throttle box in front of the pilot, with glossy faced dials already painted for you on black resin. Additionally, the PE set of four-point belts for the pilot, and another six sets of lap belts for the rest of the crew in their various positions and seat-types. Undercarriage (481062) This larger bare brass set contains some important upgrades to the landing gear bays, beginning with removing a small shackle off the gear legs to replace them with more accurate and detailed parts. Inside the bays, the sidewalls are skinned with a riveted panel on each side, then the web-work that blocks the view of the inside of the wing is given an overhaul with stiffener plates all over the joins at the top and bottom, all of which are riveted for extra interest, as per the real thing. In the roof of the bay, two curved stringers are made up and glued into the roof panel, joined by the front bulkhead that has the moulded-in detail in the top section removed to install the new more detailed skin and rib parts, with the moulded-in lateral rib adjusted slightly to accommodate the new stringers. To either side of the stringers are a pair of formed ramps that help to cradle the landing gear when in the bay. This of course is carried out twice to cover both bays. Review sample courtesy of

Boeing B-17 Wheels Block-Tread (648643 for HKM) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. One bag contains three wheels on their own pour blocks, plus two more blocks with four hub parts that are added once removed from their blocks. The tail wheel is a separate part, and all three have a slight weighing at the bottom to represent the weight of the airframe on them. All wheels are incredibly detailed from tread to hubs and sidewall contours, with manufacturer and stencil data in raised writing, all perfectly crisp and legible. In addition, a set of kabuki tape pre-cut masks are included for all three wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation cleanly with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

Sopwith Camel Upgrade Sets (for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin We’ve just reviewed the brand-new tooling of this important WWI Allied fighter here, and it’s a grand little model. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE), Brassin resin and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. SPACE Cockpit Set (3DL48038) The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost full complete panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted PE is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. The 3D decal sheet contains a pair of wood textured instrument panels with two additional appliqué dials each that sit forward of the main dials. The PE sheet has the two wide leather lap belts, complete with perforated buckle eyelets and finely-etched cord for attaching them to the seat. This little set with improve the detail immediately, although it would have been nice to have two sets of belts to match the two panels. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1215) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As in the 3D cockpit set above, the small fret contains the two wide belts with perforated buckle eyelets and fine attachment cords. Resin Seat (648659) With just the one part in the package, you could be forgiven for glossing over this replacement seat, until you see the detail that has been shoe-horned into this tiny part. The wicker construction has been represented in astonishing detail, with the lighter middle section translucent due to its scale size. It is clearly designed in 3D CAD, and it also has tiny tendrils linking it to the casting base, which should reduce the amount of effort needed to remove it from its block, preventing damage to the delicate part. If you’re interested in detailing your cockpits, this is a must-have. Vickers Mk.I Machine Guns (648660) There are four resin parts in the package, representing the two breeches and the two cooling-jacket wrapped barrels, with detail parts on a small PE sheet, including the ring-and-bead sights as well as the trigger lever. Detail is exceptional again, showing off all the intricacies of the gun’s design. Wheels Type 1 & 2(648657 & 648658) These two sets supply wheels that are broadly similar on first glance, but show their differences on closer inspection. The Type 1 have wider rim details with radial fins around its circumference, and a similar smaller detail around the centre of the hub. The Type 2 has a very thin lip around the rim, and a similarly understated centre. Both types have the same subtle impression of the spokes under the fabric outer hubcaps, with a flat surface on the rear. They are drop-in replacements for the kit parts, with small contact-patches mating them with their casting block to ease the task of removing them, which is further simplified by the fact that these early pneumatic tyres have no tread. Both sets come with kabuki tape masks (not pictured) to cut the demarcation between tyres and hubs, plus a set of decals for the sidewalls of the tyres that say “Palmer Cord Aero Tyre 700 x 70”. There are six per set to give you a little opportunity to recover from screw-ups. Type 1 (648657) Type 2 (648658) Rotherham Air Pumps (648674) This tiny detail set arrives on a tray-style casting block, which has protective upstands at each end, preventing the parts from being damaged during shipping and handling. Also included is a small fret of PE that includes parts for five styles of brackets that vary depending on which strut they are attached to, and two styles of pump plus three styles of blade to spin this air-powered fuel pump system. Not mentioned in the instructions but detailed on the 3D drawings are the hoses leading away from the pumps, which you should be able to replicate with some fine wire, but check your references to be sure. Conclusion That’s a lot of detail for such a small WWI fighter. It’s a great kit, and these sets can be used to make it even better. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AGM-142 Popeye 1 (648651) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The AGM-142 Popeye is an Israeli developed stand-off missile that has the hilariously inappropriate UN code “Have Nap”. Yes – a dirt nap. It is powered by a rocket motor, although some later versions have a jet engine instead, and can be controlled by the launching aircraft or elsewhere, using inertial guidance, infrared or TV, and carrying a fragmentation or penetrator warhead, depending on the target. It is in use with a number of countries, and America was a user up until 2004. As is now usual with Eduard's more compact resin sets, they arrive in the shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, one of which is made from bubble-wrap, and the instructions folded around acting as further padding. There are two missile units in the box, and they are large, cylindrical pieces. The various fins and nosecone are in a separate bag, while the decals are hidden inside the folded instruction sheet. Construction is straight forward after removing the parts from their casting blocks, which should also be pretty easy due to Eduard’s commitment to keeping the pour gates to an absolute minimum area. The nose cone fits on a keyed joint, which will need a little fettling in order to get a good join, which I tested out to ensure I wasn’t talking nonsense. Two sets of tail fins are slotted into rectangular slots on the forward larger fins, and round pegs for the smaller aft fins. You will need to ensure that you get these parts perpendicular to the missile body and lined up with each other to ensure a good look, with another two “whisker” fins on the nose, fitting snugly into their slots. The painting guide is printed in colour on the instructions, and as usual quotes Gunze colour codes along with the colour names to assist with painting using other brands. The stencils dotted around the weapon are also shown on the same diagram, and from my experience with their decals, they should provide no issues. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

GBU-15(V)1/B (648624) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The GBU-15 was a development of an earlier type, and was intended to neutralise (read: vaporise) high value targets, saved for special occasions due to the unit cost, using a TV guidance system that was initially only able to be used in daylight hours. The (V)1/B was the initial version, with more capability such as night vision added in subsequent variants, but it was originally intended for use solely with a Mk.84 dumb bomb, having the seeker head and guidance fins added to the basic unit, plus forward fins that are unusual because they look as if they have been fitted backwards, with the long taper toward the rear. As is now usual with Eduard's medium resin sets, they arrive in the deep Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, one of which is made from bubble-wrap, and the instructions folded around acting as further padding. There are two bomb units in the box, and they are pretty large as LGBs go. The forward fins, clear seeker heads and FOD guards are in a separate bag, while the decals are in their own. Construction is straight forward after removing the parts from their casting blocks, which should also be pretty easy, due to Eduard’s commitment to keeping the pour gates to an absolute minimum. The forward fins fit into slots in the body, remembering to go against your instincts and put them in the correct way round. You also have a choice of employing the clear seeker that slots right into the hole in the nose, which also has detail moulded into it, or cutting off the nose and installing the FOD guard instead. Unfortunately, they don’t give a value for the amount to remove either on the paper instructions or online, but from eyeballing it I’d estimate 3mm, but check your references before you put saw to resin. The painting guide is printed in colour on the front of the instructions, and as usual quotes Gunze colour codes along with the colour names to assist with painting. The few stencils dotted around the weapon are also shown on the same diagram, and from my experience with their decals, they should provide no issues. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of